Urban sprawl is a process that shapes contemporary urban spaces. Generally, this process is associated with negative effects due to the generation of high costs. However, not all the effects of urban sprawl should be considered in the context of the increasing costs of the use of space; some of them should be regarded as cost cutting factors, for example, the possibility of the use of roofed areas in generating energy from sunlight. Solar energy is believed to be one of the sources of clean energy that reduce pollution and greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere. However, solar energy generation necessitates the development of large areas for the purpose of installing photovoltaic modules and substantial funds for creating large solar farms. For this reason, a significant role in state energy policies is played by small dispersed installations mounted on the roofs of buildings. There is a gap in existing research on the assessment of urban sprawl in terms of the potential use of rooftops for solar installations in suburban areas. This research gap has not yet been filled, either conceptually and methodologically. Hence, the contribution of the research to the development of the current state of knowledge involves the identification of economic and environmental benefits of usually negatively perceived urban sprawl. The proposal of a method for the identification of suburban housing potential for solar energy generation constitutes another addition to the state of knowledge. The main objective of this article is to analyse the energy generating potential of buildings located in suburban and urban areas characterised by the confirmed occurrence of urban sprawl phenomena. CityGML data were used to conduct an analysis of the exposure of roofs to sunlight using algorithms based on vector data. The authors estimated the dynamics of changes in time and referred the existing photovoltaic installations to the total potential of a selected area. The use of the energy potential of the analysed roofs of buildings was used to evaluate the external costs and benefits of spatial planning. The discussion presented the current conditions of the energy sector and energy policies in Poland and the EU. In addition, recommendations were proposed for local spatial policies concerning the mitigation of the effects of suburbanization in the context of developing the system of PV micro-installations.

An increasingly popular approach to protected areas as places that should combine natural and socioeconomic goals, poses questions regarding the effects of achieving such goals, particularly in the context of generating local economic benefits. Therefore, the objectives of this study are as follows: (1) determining the level and diversity of the socioeconomic development of communes with national parks as compared with neighboring communes that are not protected because of national parks (treating them as a point of reference for comparisons), and (2) presenting the level of tourism development in communes with national parks as compared with neighboring areas and other components of socioeconomic development. The achievement of the research objectives is based on the use of 28 indicators which, following the standardization process, allow for constructing a synthetic index (Composite Development Index-CDI) that shows development disparities in the two analyzed groups of communes. The results indicate that communes with national parks are characterized by a slightly higher level of general development as compared with other communes and a considerably higher level of tourism development. However, it should be noted that the adopted indicators differ considerably in both groups of communes.

"Climate change effects are becoming increasingly noticeable especially in the dynamic and overcrowded city areas. The frequency of occurrence and ways of appearance of natural risks along with the negative effects of intensive economic activities, energy conventional production, unsustainable transportation and energy consumption determine increases in dysfunctions that must be managed by the local authorities in the long term. This study addresses climate change in relation to policy and regulatory framework for urban planning. The article portrays several climate change-related threats that usually occur in urban areas, which are emphasized in the scientific literature, but also exemplifies practical solutions formulated by planners in their strategy for sustainable urban development as counteracting the current specific threats. The selected case studies are the cities of Kraków in Poland and of Cluj-Napoca in Romania. Results of the literature review show that the main risks related to sustainability of the urban areas, as effects of the climate change and man-made actions, are correspondingly visible and addressed in the main strategic plans at the local level, adopted by the city authorities as practical measures and actions to be implemented by 2030 aiming to limit the effects of the climate changes that arise, as well as to limit the causes that generate these changes. By implementing the proposed measures and by achieving the objectives described in the presented action plans, both of the selected cities prove their engagement in the European mission of climate change adaptation and mitigation. "

Cechy takie jak lokalizacja i stan zachowania obiektów dziedzictwa kulturowego stanowią ważny aspekt w zarządzaniu takim zasobem, niezależnie od przyjętej skali przestrzennej. Podczas gdy dotychczasowe narzędzia miały istotne ograniczenia, autorzy niniejszej pracy zaproponowali przykładowe postępowanie badawcze pozwalające na stworzenie bazy danych dla zarządzających obiektami dziedzictwa kulturowego, z wykorzystaniem Geograficznych Systemów Informacyjnych (GIS). Na potrzeby artykułu opracowano metodykę badania terenowego, które pozwoliło na określenie nie tylko lokalizacji, ale wielu cech obiektów zależnych od preferencji użytkownika. Autorzy wykorzystali komercyjną aplikację mobilną Survey123 for ArcGIS firmy Esri, ale zastosowanie metody nie ogranicza się tylko do tego produktu. Przedstawiono i opisano kolejne fazy realizacji postępowania badawczego od etapu przygotowania materiałów wejściowych do stworzenia końcowej bazy danych. Ujawnione korzyści przekonują, że aplikacje terenowe mają szerokie zastosowanie w gromadzeniu informacji, a analizy z wykorzystaniem GIS umożliwią decydentom bardziej efektywne zarządzanie obiektami dziedzictwa kulturowego. Zidentyfikowano także ograniczenia adaptacji mobilnych aplikacji oraz wskazano potencjalne kierunki przyszłych badań.

The paper presents the results of tourist traffic monitoring carried out in years 2007−2009 by SKNG UP in the Pieniny National Park. The study included a survey of 25,612 visitors and allowed to estimate the intensity of tourist traffic in the Pieniny National Park and its spatial variability, as well as to determine the main routes and the most popular marked paths within the Park. The questionnaires allowed to determine the types and preferences of the visitors to the Pieniny National Park.During 19 days of monitoring, carried out repeatedly in 2007, 2008 and 2009, surveyors standing at the selected measure points counted and surveyed the visitors for 7 hours per day (9 am − 4 pm). In July 2007, the intensity of tourist traffic in the PPN reached 1,408 people per day (60 visitors/1km2of PPN/day), 1,160 people per day (49 visitors/1km2 of PPN/day) in July 2008, and 1,477 people/day (63 visitors/1km2 of PPN/day) in July 2009. The most popular routes in the PPN included: the section between Przełęcz Szopka – Trzy Korony with 1,200, 948 and 1,238 people per day in the years 2007, 2008 and 2009, respectively, the section Wymiarki – Limierczyki with 1,000, 720 and 1,071 visitors per day (2007−2009), and the section Sokolica – Przełęcz Sosnów: 500, 350, and 700 visitors per day (2007−2009). The most popular place to visit in the Pieniny National Park was Krościenko, receiving twice as many visitors as the largest tourist resort in this region – Szczawnica. Their average age was about 30 years old and approximately half of the respondents were people who hold university degree. The majority of the tourists came from Lesser Poland, Silesia, Masovian and Lodz voivodeships (the total number of over 50%). Those who were visiting the Pieniny for the fifth time or more prevailed among Lesser Poland inhabitants. Furthermore, they were also the majority of the one-day visitors to these mountains. Krościenko and Szczawnica turned out to be the most popular accommodation places chosen by 61% of the tourists. The vast majority of guests reported a three-day minimum stay and most of them gave preference to private accommodation.

"The study focuses on the process of reorganization of the primary school network in the Polish Carpathians, in the period 2000-2020, determined by population dynamics and the education reform in Poland, which focused on the abolition of middle schools (junior high schools) and the return to eight-year primary schools. Primary schools located in the Polish Carpathians represent almost 10% of all schools of this type in Poland, usually with a smaller number of pupils/school (1/4 when compared to the national average). In mountainous areas with a specific settlement network, the closure of a primary school in a small village usually leads to several socioeconomic issues and may become subject to changing the managing authority due to budgetary reasons. The main aim was to determine the dynamics of the process and analyze spatial differentiations, by investigating the relation between population change in the 15-39 age group and the change in the number of schools, and to identify the location of the closed schools. Results show variability in the dynamics of the analysed variables in the case of Polish Carpathians compared to the national level, for instance, much slower dynamics of school closures than the rest of the country, the number of primary schools dropping by 14% between 2000 and 2020, while the greatest decrease in the number of pupils was observed in the Carpathian communes of Subcarpathian Voivodeship, especially in peripheral locations. However, we can conclude that in mountainous areas school closure has been highly avoided due to the engagement of different types of managing authorities, from local government to other public or private entities, in governing these schools. "